Blood from a stone

Soap box time (aka I'm griping)


Got a notice from the perky little admin in HR that we had a blood drive today.  I'm not griping about this activity or getting the notice, but it just serves to remind me on how pissed off I am with the Blood Bank and all of their rules/conditions.

Before I vent, let me take you back a few years.


I used to give blood. Started out in college during one semester at the quack shack (campus medical center). Gave blood once. Hurt but I liked the feeling of helping others. Became a regular habit. I would give blood 2-3 times a year depending upon when the blood drive was and if I was not sick. Kept going through college, and did it in the Army for years. I even kept up with it when I left the Army and moved to Dallas/Houston. I did it well before the policy that you could donate/bank it for family/friends. I didn't mind the process and, honestly, it didn't hurt (too much). I would recommend donating blood if you are able and up to it. Not everyone can and, you never know, it might save a life.

Now to my gripe. After many years of giving blood, they started to reward the frequent bleeders. T-shirts, pens, lunch certificates, cookies (I'm in it for the brownies). After a certain point the blood bank will give you a coffee mug as you pass certain gallon marks. I got my 1 gallon cup. Even got my 3 gallon cup. Was working towards my 5 gallon cup a few years back. One day, I plopped myself down to give and the technician kindly informed me that I was on one of the banned lists. WTF? SRSLY?  Now, I am pretty sure I had not done drugs or had major surgery or some communicable disease or paid for "relations with another person" or had a tattoo.  I was pretty much leading a clean life (ok, beer doesn't count).  My brother and his family had been banned for years because they lived in Scotland for a few years and the blood bank has a permanent injunction against people who lived there because of Mad Cow disease. Now I have never been to England (flew over it on my way to Germany), but that was not an issue, until a few years ago. All of a sudden a new restriction was added: If you served in the military and were stationed in Germany between 1980 - 1990, then you were banned from giving blood. Seems that there may have been some instances where the commissary bought its meat from England. Supposedly the blood bank does not have any way to test for this disease, so I am on a permanent ban. Not temporary. Permanent. Now that just chaps my a%%. For almost 20 years, I've been spilling my blood and, until now, it was ok. Now I am blackballed. I tried to contact the blood bank directly but they are tied up by CDC regulations. I make it a point to visit the bloodmobile every time they are on the property to see if I am still on the list. Here I am ready & willing to donate and no takers.  Bummer...

And the next stop down memory lane...

Care to guess the year?